Tale of the Grey Wardens
by Funkyshnelpu jr
Summary: People of all origin are recruited into the Grey Wardens to defend Ferelden from the Fifth Blight. Now, stronger than ever, do the Grey Wardens have a better chance of survival at Ostagar? Not really. Loghain is still a huge prick. But now we get to see characters from every origin story gallivanting across Ferelden. Rated M intense violence and language.


**An: I've edited this story and replaced a character with someone else, so if you are reading this chapter for a second time and see someone missing, it was them. They're gone now. This story was inspired by my many playthroughs of the best videogame ever made, Dragon Age: Origins, and reading some decently written Dragon Age stories. I'm skipping the origin story because almost every story with a lengthy plot goes through them. I'm starting from the moment the Warden arrives at Ostagar. Alright, let's do this shit.**

Grey Warden Commander Duncan led his party towards the Grey Warden's camp at the ruins of Ostagar. Directly behind him was the Dalish Elf warrior Vergil Mahariel. To Vergil's right was the exiled Dwarf Prince, a warrior named Bhelen Aeducan, and to his left was former City Elf brothers, warrior Vortivask and rouge Avagantamos Tabris.

Seventeen year old Vergil had red eyes and red hair that fell to the lower part of his neck, almost to his shoulders, with a few strands of hair hanging down on either side of his face and several locks of hair braided behind his head. Unlike most Dalish elves, his face was free of tattoos of any kind. He was from a Dalish clan in the Brecilian Forest. He had been scouting with his best friend Tamlen when they ran into several humans, who led them to a large cave. The two eventually found a large mirror, an Eluvian, only to have the mirror give both Vergil and Tamlen the darkspawn taint and for Tamlen to disappear. Only Duncan's timely arrival saved Vergil from death. However, he was far from safe from the effects of the taint. To be safe from the taint he had to become a Grey Warden. He agreed to join the Grey Wardens, but before he left he went back to the cave with Duncan and another childhood friend named Merrill, to destroy the Eluvian.

Twenty one year old Bhelen Aeducan had medium length blonde hair that with several spiked up strands by his forehead, blue eyes that were so pale they were almost white, and a long, thick blonde beard that was braided in several places. Bhelen Aeducan was the second and favorite son of King Endrin Aeducan. Bhelen had no care nor want for the throne and would much rather spend the day with his best friend Gorim Saelac. The day of his celebration for becoming Orzammar's newest commander was the worst day of his life. Bhelen was sent into the Aeducan Thaig to retrieve the Shield of Aeducan. On his way out, he and his party discovered the dead bodies of his older brother Trian and his party. His father and younger brother Bhelen arrived and Bhelen blamed Trian's death on his older brother. Bhelen's father banished him to the Deep Roads to die. Fortunately for Bhelen, he discovered Duncan and his party of Grey Wardens. Bhelen agreed to become a Grey Warden to avoid a gruesome death in the Deep Roads.

Twenty two year old Avagantamos Tabris and twenty one year old Vortivask Tabris had a similar appearance, leading many to believe the two were twins; yellow eyes and brown hair pulled into a ponytail at the back of their heads. Vortivask had been preparing for his marriage when the Arl of Denerim's son, Vaughan, crashed the wedding with armed guards and abducted his fiance and the bridesmaids. Avagantamos, Vortivask, and their cousin Soris fought their way through the castle to retrieve the women. Eventually, the three found Vaughan and his men. Vaughan offered Vortivask forty sovereigns if he left without the women. Vortivask was about to decline the bribe but Avagantamos agreed to the deal. However, upon receiving the money from Vaughan, Avagantamos proceeded to kill him and his men before freeing the captive women. Later, Denerim guards arrived to find the person responsible for the attack. Avagantamos and Vortivask stepped forward to accept responsibility for their actions. Before the two can be arrested Duncan stepped in and conscripted the two into the Grey Wardens. Before they left, Vortivask told his fiancée that he would come back to marry her and had his father hide the forty sovereigns outside the estate to be collected at a later date.

"Bhelen," Vergil said. "It's been bugging me. Why would your father possibly think it was a good idea to give you and your brother the same exact name with the same exact spelling?"

"I have no idea." Bhelen said with a small chuckle. "You'd have to ask him or my mother. Unfortunately, neither are available for comment. My father has become sick and no one is allowed to see him and my mother was a concubine who was given back to her family so she could care for her elderly parents and has almost disappeared. My guess is that Father thought it would be absolutely damn hilarious."

"That's the only reason that makes sense to me." Avagantamos put in with Vortivask seconding his response.

"Here we are." Duncan said. "Ostagar."

The Warden recruits gazed at Ostagar in awe. Despite being a ruin, many of its walls remained in close to pristine condition. A massive tower stood in near perfect condition to the east of Ostagar. As the party approached the camp situated inside the fortress, a blond haired man in gold armor flanked by two fully armored soldiers approached them. "King Cailan." Duncan said in surprise. "I didn't expect-"

"A royal welcome?" the blonde haired man, King Cailan, asked humorously. "I was beginning to worry you'd miss all the fun."

"Fun?" Vortivask asked. "I love fun. What kind of fun are you talking about, Your Majesty?"

"The Darkspawn kind." King Cailan replied with a smirk.

"The what?" the Tabris brothers asked.

"Darkspawn." Duncan said. "Tainted creatures that live underground. Just their touch can turn an Old God into an Archdemon and start a Blight."

"Maker." Vortivask gasped. Avagantamos shuddered. Vergil and Bhelen, despite already knowing about the darkspawn from having battling them, gave a quick prayer.

"These are my new Warden-Recruits, Your Majesty." Duncan said. "I believe Senior Warden Cousland is bringing a few more as well."

"Excellent." King Cailan said. "Then I'll have the mighty Duncan at my side in battle after all. Glorious." He turned to head back the way he came. "Have you any news before I go?"

"Redcliffe forces should be here in less than a week." Duncan answered.

King Cailan laughed. "Eamon just wants in on the glory. We've won three battles and tomorrow should be no different."

"Doesn't that seem a little presumptuous?" Vergil asked.

"Overconfident some would say." Was King Cailan's response. "Right, Duncan?"

"Your Majesty, I don't think the Blight can be ended as quickly as you might wish." Duncan replied.

"Didn't the last one last ninety years?" Bhelen asked.

"Ah, no." Duncan answered. "That was the Second Blight. The most recent Blight was the fourth Blight. That one lasted twelve years."

"Oh." Bhelen said.

"Watch this one only last one year." Vortivask chuckled.

"Anyway, I'm not even sure that this is a true Blight." King Cailan added. "There are plenty of darkspawn on the field. But there has still been no sign of an Archdemon."

"Maybe that's intentional." Avagantamos said. Everyone turned to look at him. "Maybe it's staying away from Ostagar to weaken our forces before it comes and deals the final blow. Maybe it hasn't even left the Deep Roads yet. Maybe it knows what'll happen if a Grey Warden kills it."

"Way to be downer bro." Vortivask chuckled. Avagantamos pushed him.

"He does bring up a valid point." Vergil said. "If this is a true Blight, the Archdemon could purposefully be staying away from the battlefield."

"But what if it's not a Blight?" Bhelen asked.

"Then it's not a Blight." Vergil replied. "But all these 'maybes' and 'what ifs' do us nothing. We need to focus on the current darkspawn threat. Let's go. Standing around doesn't help us either." With that he walked off in the direction that King Cailan had come from, the other Warden-Recruits following closely behind.

King Cailan turned to Duncan. "I like him. If he survives the Joining and rises through the ranks, he would make a good Warden-Constable." He said with a smirk.

Duncan, straight faced as ever, nodded. "Your thoughts mirror my own, Your Majesty. I think he might even be a better fit than some of our Senior Wardens." He said.

"Some people are just born leaders." King Cailan chuckled. "Let's go. We've got things to do." The two men walked further into Ostagar, with the two soldiers flanking King Cailan all the while.

 **XXX**

 _Meanwhile_

Twenty seven year old Senior Warden Marc Cousland walked at the head of his party. Marc Cousland had shoulder length brown hair and eyes with a face full of stubble. He had been recruited by Duncan two years ago after he won a tournament in Denerim. He had never had much to do until now.

He had in his party: his sisters Ella, and Elissa Cousland, his brother Eryck Cousland, Circle Mages Lilly and Travis Amell, a Dwarf Commoner rogue named Andre Brosca, his pet Mabari Diablo, his sister's pet Mabari Ghost, and his brother's pet Mabari Kamisama.

Nineteen year old Ella Cousland had brown hair and blue eyes. Her hair was pulled into a long ponytail at the back of her head.

Nineteen year old Eryck Cousland, and twin brother of Ella, had pale blonde hair in a military style cut, blue eyes, and heavy stubble.

Twenty six year old Elissa Cousland's hair, like Ella's, was pulled into a ponytail at the back of her head, but she had some of her hair falling down the right side of her face.

Eryck Cousland had been woken in the middle of the night by an attack of Arl Rendon Howe's men. He had met up with his mother. The two of them, Kamisama, and a servant fought their way through Arl Howe's men to reach the Cousland treasury. There, they retrieved the Cousland family sword and shield. Then they fought their way to Bryce Cousland, Eryck's father, and found him near death in a puddle of his own blood. They were soon joined by Marc, Ella, and Ellisa Cousland, Travis and Lilly Amell, and Andre Brosca. The Cousland siblings were forced to leave their parents to their death as they fled to Ostagar.

Twenty two year old Lilly Amell had green eyes and sand blonde hair that fell to her neck and was tied up into three ponytails on either side of her head and at the back.

Twenty four year old Travis Amell had green eyes, jet black hair that was short on the sides and long on the top with the front sticking straight up, and light stubble.

Travis and Lilly Amell had just completed their Harrowing at the Circle of Magi, where they fought and defeated a demon in the Fade. Their friend Jowan was revealed as a blood mage and fled the Circle. Facing a death sentence by association, the two were recruited by Marc Cousland to join the Grey Wardens.

Twenty year old Andre Brosca had green eyes, red hair styled in a mohawk in the middle of his head with the rest of his head completely shaved, and a thick beard with multiple braids.

As part of the casteless, Andre was extremely poor and had to run errands for the local crime boss, Beraht, in order to stay alive. His sister Rica Brosca was also working for Beraht, but was trying to find a wealthy male suitor while he had to do some of Beraht's more unsavory tasks. The first one was finding and killing Oskias, a smuggler who has been hiding lyrium from Beraht. The next task Beraht gave to Andre was to drug a fighter's drink in the Proving, thereby rigging the event so the fighter Beraht had bet on could win. Andre made it to the Proving Ground, only to find that Beraht's fighter, Everd, had passed out from drinking too much. Since failure was not an option, Andre decided to wear the fighter's armor and win his match for him. Unfortunately, Everd stumbled out into the field just before the last battle, and Andre was forced to reveal the deception. Beraht managed to apprehend and imprison him in his personal dungeon. Andre escaped and killed Beraht, only to come face to face with Marc Cousland, who had watched the Dwarf Commoner compete in the tournament. Faced with either exile, death, or joining the Grey Wardens, Andre chooses to go with Marc and leave Orzammar.

"See that?" Marc asked as they came within view of the ruins of Ostagar. "That is Ostagar. The main camp of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden."

"It's so pretty." Elissa gasped, awestruck.

"It is rather appealing despite being in disrepair." Eryck said.

"Just keep me away from the knife ears." Ella muttered. Emma and Elissa rolled their eyes at their sister's animosity towards the elves.

"Point me to the ale." Andre chuckled.

"All in due time, friend," Marc told Andre. "All in due time. And Ella, the only elves we have here are servants, so you should be able to stay well away from them."

"Who's in charge here?" Andre asked. "I ask cause I don't want to mouth off to the wrong person."

"That would be Duncan." Marc replied. "Dark hair, ponytail, two swords, straight face 24/7. Can't miss him."

"Got it." Andre nodded. "Don't talk back to the dark haired ponytailed dude with two swords."

"Here we are." Marc said as they approached the entrance to Ostagar. "Let's go see Duncan."

 **An: The events of the Mage and Dwarf Commoner origin stories are probably slightly different here than in the game because I haven't done those, and just copied plot details from the Dragon Age Wiki. Oh well. I don't care too much anyway. There will hopefully be those who enjoy how I write this story. Well, I'm done writing this chapter. Don't forget to favorite the story, follow the story, review the chapter and follow to see chapters similar to this one. See ya.**


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